Dear friends and family,

Some of you might know already that my wife Natalie has severe endometriosis and that was the reason we needed IVF. We were incredibly fortunate to come out the other side with two wonderful boys and are hugely grateful for all the help that we received. 

Endometriosis can debilitate women for years before they're diagnosed. It's caused when deposits of tissue from the lining of the womb grow in other parts of the body, most often within the pelvis. These deposits then bleed and cause pain with every period. The blood is a bit like super glue, sticking things together inside, making the pain worse and affecting bowel, bladder function and fertility too. Natalie lost a kidney to her disease. Being a gynaecologist didn't mean she got diagnosed soon enough to prevent any of this. 

We need to promote awareness so that women don't suffer for years before someone helps them. Endometriosis UK is a fantastic charity which supports women throughout their endometriosis journey.

Natalie was lucky enough to know Mr Ertan Saridogan through her work and so when she moved to London, he was the doctor she turned to when we needed help. I said to him:

"If you can help us to get pregnant, then I'll run a marathon for Endometriosis UK"

But life, nappies and general toddler carnage got in the way. I've been feeling guilty about this but just couldn't motivate myself to do something. 

For the first time in years I've actually had time to do some running for fun (like a few runs...), not just dashing back from work with a bag, or dropping the kids off at nursery in a double buggy. 

Spurred on by this, I've decided to run 50K (which is a bit more than a marathon) to absolve myself for not doing this sooner. And i'm only giving myself  6 WEEKS TO GET READY, because otherwise life might get in the way again. 

I'm not racing anyone - I just want to get through it in 4-5 hours, perhaps with a walk or two. But it's going to be a stretch. A long one. So Ertan,  Endometriosis UK and anyone else going through this, this one's for you!